MG ZS EV 2.0 - Life with an EV

Electric vehicles are a known phenomenon however in the mind of people like you and me there is always that element of doubt regarding the range. Let alone infrastructure which in today's date is increasing thanks to the well-coordinated effort of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highway and Government of India put together. But the real question lies in how is it to live with an EV. For this purpose, we recently got hold of the updated MG ZS EV ADAS 2.0 to determine how it performs in the city as well as on the open highway.

MG ZS EV Facelift: New Tech on Offer

But before we get into the exterior design let me tell you that the EV has been around for more than 4 years and the recent updates are not merely cosmetic, there is something new on its tech part too. In comes ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) which features a plethora of sensors and cameras for the safety of not just the vehicle but also its occupants put together. Under this function, what one gets are features such as Lane Assist, Pedestrian Detection, Autonomous Cruise Control, Auto Braking, Speed Limit Detection, Traffic Jam Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, Front & Rear Collision Assist, and Park Assist among others.

Out of all of these, the one feature that we used the most during our one-week-long stint with the ZS EV was the Dynamic Cruise Control. What it does is that it increases or decreases the speed of the car on the basis of the vehicle in front of you. It further helps in bringing the four-wheeler to a complete halt in case the car in front stops suddenly.

Plus the function detects a possible scenario of a crash with either a car or a pedestrian in front of you. In reality, this is a good feature to have however due to our congested roads the vehicle at times braked suddenly which was not a great experience at all. As for Lane Assist, the feature had a mind of its own, sometimes it would work and on the rest of the occasions be switched off.

MG ZS EV Facelift: Power and Performance

With ADAS Tech's description out of our way, let us deep dive into its performance right away. Under the skin, the 2023 MG ZS EV has been upgraded with a slightly bigger battery pack. From a 44.5kWh unit, it has now been increased to 50.3 kWh. Mated to a Synchronous electric motor; they together produce a maximum power output of 176 bhp with 250 Nm of peak torque. When compared to the earlier version this means that there is an increase of 33 bhp in power while the torque is decreased by 70 Nm. The specific changes have been done to deliver better performance and range.

That said, from the word go the electric SUV has a lot going for it. It feels peppy to drive in all three modes (Eco, Normal and Sport). In Eco there is enough power to make swift overtakes while the other two modes let you enjoy the tarmac to the fullest. Moreover, in the Sport mode, there is a wheelspin which will entice the enthusiast within you. The brakes on this particular machine lacked bite and could use better ones to provide better confidence to the driver.

MG ZS EV Facelift: Range and Charging Solutions

Coming to the all-important aspect of range? On full charge, the vehicle showed a range of around 401 km, however, in reality, it delivered 391 km depending upon the city driving conditions. Our city runs from home to office and for meetings were great as the four-wheeler provided enough juice for a 150 to 200 km commute. Though to be on the safer side, wherever provided an opportunity we tried recharging the vehicle from time to time.

Here too there were a few gaps as the vehicle at times did not charge fully and was restricted to 75 percent only. This meant that if we had time on hand we could charge once again to get the required full 100 percent in the kitty. This point further opens up the debate about the current charging infrastructure available in the Delhi NCR region.

From Delhi to Noida to Gurugram there are ample locations available for recharging however out of the ones that we visited a couple of them were not functioning. Which in dire situations could turn into a horrific experience. Another aspect of this is the compatibility of a charging station to your current electricity set-up at home. In most cases, the upgrades to the existing infrastructure require quite a bit of investment which dissuades most customers from going in for a vehicle of such nature.

In our case, since I live in a high-rise society charging solutions are still non-existent probably due to a lack of demand or the initial cost of setting up solutions of such kind. As a result, what we had to face was frequent visits to the nearest MG dealership or stations that provided sufficient charging.

The best way in our opinion to charge your EV is during your visits to the mall. We took the MG to the Mall of India where there is an entire section for EVs with around 10 charging sockets (4 of which are fast chargers) and we were able to conveniently charge the EV from 40 percent to 100 percent in a matter of 40 minutes. One small hurdle that came in the way was that charging stopped for no reason but I was notified on the Glida (service provider) app and I had to go back to the parking to restart the charging process. Despite operational benefits, smooth charging from start to end is a desired thought.

MG ZS EV Facelift: Cost of Charging

As for the cost? Each time that you visit a public charging station, mall or hotel; you would have to spend around Rs 1200 for a full charge. The same thing can be done at your nearest MG dealership for no cost as it is free.

MG ZS EV Facelift: Exterior Design Changes

Having spoken about charging and the cost, what does the ZS EV Facelift have to offer on its exterior? For starters, there is not much of a drastic design change. Upfront it is now provided with a closed-off grille, revised headlamp clusters and a redesigned bumper. Its charging port has been repositioned from the grille to the side. Rest the side profile remains unchanged with the rear offing angular tail lights and a reworked bumper.

MG ZS EV Facelift: Interior Upgrades

Unlike the exterior, the interior witnesses quite a few changes. First up is the colour treatment given to the upholstery which changes from Sangria red to beige. Further, the cabin offers good build quality with the fit and finish complementing the overall onboard experience.

Equipment added to the model includes wireless charging, a 360-degree camera, a blind spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert and a bigger 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Overall in terms of comfort, the vehicle does not disappoint whether seated upfront or towards the rear.

MG ZS EV Facelift: Verdict

The fan and customer base of electric vehicles is growing day by day. Not because it is a craze but because of the simple fact that the environment requires urgent attention due to the pollution caused daily by the movement of vehicles. In this scenario, the MG ZS EV Facelift is a viable option for those seeking an electric SUV as their second or third choice of a four-wheeler. The reason why we are saying this is that one cannot have it as their first choice simply due to limited infrastructure and charging solutions as mentioned above. For the rest, given the updates, it is a well-rounded product that offers a punch for its performance and it is relatively cost-effective to run.